If you wish to enjoy a day trip of discovery during your holiday to Tuscany, why not visit the famous Villa Demidoff in Pratolino, just north of Florence city. Visitors wishing to stay here for a few days have a wonderful selection of stylish holiday rentals both within and just outside Florence. The legends that lie within these walls are numerous but most famous is that of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Francesco de’Medici who once lived here.
He was appointed to this title in 1574 and was despised by the people because of his introversion and reluctance to communicate with them. He was the opposite of his father who was a great public speaker.
He was appointed to this title in 1574 and was despised by the people because of his introversion and reluctance to communicate with them. He was the opposite of his father who was a great public speaker.
Somehow, one day Francesco met a Venetian woman called Bianca Cappello and quickly fell in love with her. The two of them ignored their families demands and fled to Florence to have a baby girl together. The problem with this love affair was that Francesco was betrothed to Joanna of Austria. They did get married and Joanna pretended to ignore her husband’s affair. The poor woman had other woes as she had many troubles in pregnancy and miscarried several times.
The story goes that Bianca saw an opportunity in her despair and planned to somehow give Joanna the child she couldn’t conceive in birth. So she paid to have a baby boy taken from its mother straight after birth. The poor woman was to be told that her child had died but that her breast milk was needed for an orphaned baby in the Medici court. The grieved mother didn’t find out for some time that the baby was actually hers but the cruel Francesco kept the boy as his own and named him Antonio.
The story goes that Bianca saw an opportunity in her despair and planned to somehow give Joanna the child she couldn’t conceive in birth. So she paid to have a baby boy taken from its mother straight after birth. The poor woman was to be told that her child had died but that her breast milk was needed for an orphaned baby in the Medici court. The grieved mother didn’t find out for some time that the baby was actually hers but the cruel Francesco kept the boy as his own and named him Antonio.
In 1578, Joanna died at only 31, pregnant for the seventh time in an attempt to produce an heir for the Duke. Only three months later, he wed Bianca which outraged the Medici family and the people of Tuscany even more.
It seemed that they truly loved each other and so planned to hide away somewhere from this hatred. Francesco had the Villa Demidoff built for their retirement. Unfortunately, they both soon fell into ill health and died within eleven days of each other in October 1582.
The Medici family quickly intervened and gave Francesco a solemn funeral and had Bianca’s body thrown into a common grave. They destroyed all her possessions in disgust of the shame she had brought on their family.
Today tourists are welcome to stroll around this magnificent place, full of lavish gardens, ornate statues and cosy grottoes as well as the luxurious villa itself. The legend of this tragic tale of forbidden love is only one of several related articles that describe the most famous legends of Tuscany. They could be of great help when planning a Tuscan holiday full of mystery and wonder!
It seemed that they truly loved each other and so planned to hide away somewhere from this hatred. Francesco had the Villa Demidoff built for their retirement. Unfortunately, they both soon fell into ill health and died within eleven days of each other in October 1582.
The Medici family quickly intervened and gave Francesco a solemn funeral and had Bianca’s body thrown into a common grave. They destroyed all her possessions in disgust of the shame she had brought on their family.
Today tourists are welcome to stroll around this magnificent place, full of lavish gardens, ornate statues and cosy grottoes as well as the luxurious villa itself. The legend of this tragic tale of forbidden love is only one of several related articles that describe the most famous legends of Tuscany. They could be of great help when planning a Tuscan holiday full of mystery and wonder!
